Ice Legion
by sleepingfairy28
Summary: Instead of a dragon-slayer joining a mage guild, why not have one join the Rune Knights instead? A ice dragon-slayer joins the Council's military with a group of other ice wizards to make their own paths, and navigate through this world of magic as sworn Rune Knights, rather than a guild wizard. (Rune Knight story, and OC centric)
1. Chapter 1

_**In the northern region of Fiore**_

The village of Frost Perch was one of few settlements in the snow covered region. Life wasn't easy, but those who survived here thrived and naturally stubborn enough to endure. It wasn't luxurious, but it was fulfilling all the same. All the settlements, though they intially struggled over resources, now worked together with trade.

Though life was definitely more challenging as opposed to life in the rest of Fiore, there was always a certain peaceful charm to the north.

Currently, outside one of the sturdily built houses in the village of Frost Perch, a young girl of seventeen sat in a meditative position. She had dark violet hair, obsidian blue eyes, and fair skin. Currently she was dressed in a white long sleeved tunic, thick gray pants tucked into fur trimmed boots, and a heavy coat was casually laying in her lap.

Her eyes were closed as she enjoyed the tranquility of the morning, listening to the soft wind and faint sounds of others starting their day in the village. However one eye cracked upon hearing a loud crashing sound. She frowned, realizing it was coming from inside the house, and climbed to her feet.

"Raul?" she opened the door and poked her head inside, only to sigh seeing the sight before her.

Her mentor and adoptive father was currently sprawled face down on the floor, miraculously not having landed in the fire pit in the center of the home. Her nose twitched as she smelled stew cooking in the pot hanging over the pit but she ignored it as she scurried over to Raul. She knelt down and shook him slightly.

"Raul? Are you okay?"

The older man groaned, rolled onto his back and slung an arm over his eyes. "Ugh…sorry Freya, I didn't mean to worry you. It's just that-" he suddenly shot up and gripped her shoulders. "You're leaving today! My little student, it seems like just yesterday you were chasing a snow fox because it stole your boot!"

"…Raul that was yesterday."

"Oh." He grew quiet for a moment before groaning again. "Only fifty-six, but old age is catching up to me. Why?" Freya rolled her eyes and gently removed his larger hands off her shoulders and helped him up.

Despite him being in his fifties, Raul still towered over her at the impressive height of 6'6, exactly one foot taller than her. He still was muscular, something you tell despite the thick furs he wore due to the north's cold. His hair was black with gray streaks, and gray-green eyes that remind her of a hawk stared down at her with a friendly warmth to them. He held his hair in a short ponytail with a few messy strands falling out. He also had a faded goatee and some stubble.

There was a faded scar on his left jaw, it looked like a bear had caused it in his younger days but it was likely it had been during a fight with a mage.

"You're not that old Raul. You're just retired." Freya grabbed the ladle and stirred the stew in the pot. He sighed and dusted himself off, before wandering to her backpack. She had packed everything neatly the night before. Some spare clothes, rations needed for the journey, and a few spare things she wanted to bring for sentimental reasons. He glanced over it, and ignored the hard feeling in his chest.

Freya wasn't just a student to him. She was like his daughter. He's raised her since she was ten years old, a hunting party having found her alone in the icy tundra. It was oddly funny to him, that after he retired he found someone to keep him company and to well…be his family. He always wanted the apple pie life, marriage and then children, but it just never happened. Perhaps he just focused on work too much, or was recovering from his young days when he was a little bit of a playboy. _Pfft, glad I joined the Rune Knights back then. I needed the discipline_ Raul snorted. In any case though, he would miss his student.

"Freya, come here a sec." He headed to the corner of the room where there was a sheet covered what must have been a stand. The girl set the ladle down and walked over. He slung an arm around her shoulders and yanked the sheet off the stand to reveal an armor display. A faded white cloak was over a light blue jacket with a hood. The jacket had a large dark blue belt with side pockets fastened over it, dark blue straps crossing over his chest and back (where there was a small backpack), and then the sleeves of jacket were tucked into fingerless black gloves with metal plating fitted over them and then running to halfway up the forearms. There was also elbow pads, and white cargo pants on the display. Black boots completed the look. The sigil of the Rune Knights was stitched onto the back of the jacket, but also on the right bicep too.

"I know I was a Rune Knight, but that doesn't mean you have to be one too. I want you to follow your own path."

Freya shook her head with a smile. "I know. But we discussed this before. I know that I can easily join a mage guild because of my magic, but I want to do something else with it. I think my mother would be proud of me…and I want you to be proud of me."

He felt a swell of emotion, and squeezed her in a one armed hug. "I'll always be proud of you….but enough about me! You're going to be a Rune Knight! Come on, let's eat and have one last meditation session before you got to get going."

"Is that code for get some peace before Samantha and Alexis get here and start arguing?"

"Yes it is."

She snorted at how nonchalantly he answered that, grabbing three bowls from the cupboard. Raul, seeing the bowls, raised an eyebrow. "That reminds me…where is Lulu?"

"She's out flying around outside. She's really excited to go on an 'adventure', you know?" Freya answered, grabbing the ladle and filling the bowls up. He shrugged, and helped her take the bowls to the table. As if on cue, a yellow blur raced in through the open kitchen window, flying straight to one of the chairs.

The blur was a hyperactive little Exceed named Lulu. Lulu had yellow fur, with it being a bit spiky around her larger than average ears and her tail. A little white coat was buttoned up on her. Freya found her egg two years ago and had hatched her. While it was weird seeing a cat of all things come from an egg, she was still delighted that she got the egg to hatch. Raul surprisingly wasn't too fazed, but considering his status as an ex-Rune Knight he probably has seen stranger things.

"I'm here-" Lulu started before dodging a light swipe from Raul with a squeak.

"And late for breakfast!"

Freya rolled her eyes as the Exceed pouted at Raul and placed her bowl in front of her. "Eat up, we've got a long journey ahead of us Lulu."

* * *

"Are you sure you want to be a Rune Knight? Your big butt might get in the way!"

"I can't help it that I'm more developed than you! Besides, at least I don't charge into a fight like a maniac."

Raul let out a deep groan while Freya held back her snickers. "Oh, Supreme Commander is going to have a lot of fun with this new generation." He grumbled underneath his breath before walking out. Freya slung her bag over her shoulders and followed.

They were greeted by the sight of two girls Freya's age. The girl who had first spoken was Samantha Kuroushi. She had blonde hair kept in a ponytail and brown eyes, and was tall for a girl. She had a body type that screamed _Amazonian_ and while she wore the typical furs of the north, she had a horned helmet tucked underneath her arm. A shield was slung across her back and on her belt was hanging a mace, from which you could see a slight shimmer indicating there was enchantments on it. The top of the mace even appeared to be made of ice.

The next girl was Alexis Shiverpeak, who had flowing white hair, clear blue eyes, lush lips, and a very voluptuous pear-shaped body. An impressive looking bow and quiver was slung over her back. Her cheeks right now were currently flustered due to the nature of her argument with Samantha.

Freya knew Samantha for a while now, but had only met Alexis a few days ago. The two girls, like Freya, had desired to join the Rune Knights so had previously come to speak with Raul. He gave them advice, and also asked that the three girls travel together since it was a long way from Frost Perch to Era, the town that served as home to the Magic Council. The only problem was that Alexis and Samantha butted heads in the short time they knew each other. It most likely had to do with their different fighting styles, and how their villages worked. Samantha's village was harsher and had one of the toughest lifestyles, so the girl tended to be head on unlike Alexis who hunted from a distance with her archery.

"Morning you two."

The girls stopped their arguing and quickly bowed their heads in respect. "Good morning Raul, Freya."

Rau crossed his arms, and frowned as he looked around. He turned his head to his student. "Freya, where is Lulu? Again?" The Exceed must have disappeared again. Yet before Freya could say or do anything in response, Lulu flew in with Aera, making Alexis jump. Right, she had never seen the cat's wings before. Lulu had her own little backpack, red with bright white polka dots, and hovered right next to Raul.

"I'm here!" she chirped enthusiastically. Raul sweat-dropped while Alexis still tried to process that the talking cat she met a few days ago…had wings. _What_.

"You girls ready to go?" Raul asked. They all nodded, making him sigh deeply. He was really starting to feel his age, having to see off a new, young generation of Rune Knights. "Alright, I'll walk you to the border of Frost Perch…but first." He faced Freya, a stern expression on his face. His hawk eye gaze actually made Freya freeze momentarily.

"Um…Raul-" Before she could ask what was wrong, he immediately crushed her in a bear hug. She squeaked rather adorably making Samantha laugh while Alexis held back a snicker behind her hand.

Raul squeezed her tightly. "Listen, I know you're going to do well. But I just want you to know…don't be afraid to come home every now and then." Her flushed face dropped, and she closed her eyes to hold back gathering tears. _Home…_

"I will." And she meant it.

* * *

The trek started out quiet enough. Lulu had claimed Freya's shoulder as her sitting place, Alexis's blue eyes were scanning the area like a hawk as if looking for any possible threat, while Samantha trudged on with vigilant eyes and ears as well. Freya took a sniff and let her ears do most of the work, knowing she could trust those two senses the most. Alexis paused for a moment, looking over the violet haired girl, and sighed.

"I have to ask, what is your magic?" Alexis spoke up finally. "You don't have a weapon on you, unlike me and Sammy." The blonde gave Alexis a glare for that nickname which the white haired beauty clearly ignored.

Freya's hand immediately shot up to cover Lulu's mouth before the Exceed could say it out loud. "Just ice magic. Not Ice-Make mind you, but ice magic." She clarified. Samantha gave her an odd look but didn't say anything as Alexis nodded, satisfied with this for now.

"I see, thank you for telling me. I'm sure it's obvious, but I use a magic bow and arrow to compliment the ice and archery magic I developed through hunting." She gestured to the bow and quiver on her back. Freya nodded.

Not wanting to be left out, Samantha spoke up as well. "My shield is enchanted, and this mace uses ice magic too. I like getting up close when I fight, so I can bash things when I needed to." She spoke with a hint of pride in her voice. She liked being a warrior, and the adrenaline she got from a good battle. She then made a funny face. "Huh."

"Huh what?"

"We all use ice magic. That's…kind of cool." Lulu giggled at the unintentional pun but Alexis and Freya shared looks.

Before anything could be said, they heard shouting. The three girls and Exceed exchanged glances before quickly racing towards the shouting. The closer they got, the more they realized they were getting closer to what sounded like a rough fight going on.

"Back off!" A girl's voice shouted only to be followed by another crash. Samantha didn't hesitate to yank her mace off her belt and grab her shield, while Alexis quickly did the same with her bow. Freya's eyes simply narrowed and she ran in. Lulu's wings from her Aera came out as she quickly flew ahead to see what was going on.

"You need to back down girly, we just want your jewels and whatever supplies you have!"

Lulu flew and hovered over the snowy field, clearly the center of some damage, and gasped seeing a girl around Freya's age step backwards. She had bob cut blue hair, green eyes, and a petite body clad in furs clearly originating from one of the villages up north. She was in a defensive stance holding two long daggers, and her eyes kept flickering back and forth to try and keep all of the bandits in her sight.

The bandits were a group of men that were clearly outsiders due to the clothes they wore. "Just leave me alone, and I'll forget this happened." The girl tried bargaining. It was obvious she knew how to fight, but she was severely outnumbered and not to mention, alone.

The bandits laughed. "Oh, I'm shaking in my boots!" One of them mocked stepping forward. The girl's eyes narrowed and just as she went to say something, an arrow sliced through the air and landed right in front of the man's foot. They all gasped, and turned their heads to see Alexis already nocking another arrow.

"I'm not surprised you're shaking in your boots, you're clearly not dressed warm enough." Freya spoke up, coming around Alexis. She stood a few feet away from the blue haired girl and gave the bandits a raised eyebrow.

Samantha then walked up, banging her mace on her shield, making some of the bandits jump. "Greenlanders." She snorted making Alexis smirk. Ah, finally something they agree on!

"Who are you calling greenlanders? We still outnumber you!" The leader called out, gesturing to the twelve men and then the four girls they were facing.

"Three for each of us!" Samantha answered with a grin. The blue haired girl looked confused but was grateful nonetheless the girls had come to her aide despite being strangers.

"I want one too!" Lulu cried from above. The Exceed didn't want to be left out!

"Wait- IS THAT A CAT WITH WINGS?!"

"No, it's _clearly_ a Vulcan." Freya remarked sarcastically before looking at her companions. The bandits seemed pretty insulted how she dismissed them much to everyone's amusement. "So…I'll take the ones on the left?"

Samantha nodded. "I'll take the middle."

Alexis fired an arrow and they all heard a yelp. "I'll take the three thinking they're being clever, sneaking around us."

Freya nodded and looked at the blue haired girl. "You okay with the ones on the right then?" The girl didn't look unharmed.

After a moment of taking it all in, the girl gave a slight nod. "I'll take the right."

That was all it took for all hell to break loose. Samantha, helmet on, gave a fierce battle cry as she lifted her shield and charged. The three bandits in the middle looked wide-eyed before quickly regaining their composure. Two of the bandits held weapons, but one of them had a form of lightning magic. He quickly raised his hands, electricity dancing around his fingertips, before firing off several rapid bolts at Samantha. She lifted her shield and much to his surprise, the lightning was absorbed into the shield. The two bandits with swords attacked at her from the sides to try and take her by surprise, but she merely spun and slammed her mace into the man's sword. Since it was clearly not high quality, the sword broke in two.

The other man however got a more painful fate. Samantha slammed her shield into his rib-cage and suddenly, the man was electrocuted as the absorbed magic was finally released. She didn't stay in one place for long though, as she quickly used the edge of her shield to slam into the head of the disarmed bandit. He crumbled to the ground with his friend. The lightning mage's jaw dropped as he was met with predatory brown eyes. "You're next."

Alexis fired off an arrow, knocking one of her three targets down but the other two kept coming. One bandit came faster than the other and went to swing at her. Before he could, Alexis took the end of her bow and jabbed into his stomach before ducking under him and shooting her elbow up into his jaw. She then grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and shoved him face first into the snow. Before he fully fell however, she rolled over his back nocking an arrow and fired an ice arrow at her remaining enemy. It struck him, and quickly it encased his chest in ice. The weight forced him to drop down.

The blue haired girl twirled her daggers in her hands, making the blades clash together as she circled her opponents. Her eyes narrowed, and a white magic circle activated beneath her. "Ice Body!" Her whole body suddenly turned into hard ice, giving her an armor sorts as she quickly ran forward. The key to wielding daggers was to get in close, and fast. Due to her small size and her defense from her magic, she was able to get in closer much easier than most. The big spiked club the largest of the three wielded swung out at her but she managed to slide under it. He then brought it downwards at her, fully intending to crush her underneath the club. The girl waited until the very last second before jumping back. The spiked club crashed into the ground and due to the spikes, it got stuck in the thick snow. The girl then used the club as a spring board to deliver a harsh kick to the man's chin, knocking him back. She landed on his chest, and used the hilt of one of her daggers to strike across his temple, knocking him out. Another bandit with an ax ran forward and brought his ax down on the girl but to his surprise, the ax simply glanced off the ice coating her skin.

"I'm impervious to little attacks like that." The girl informed before swiping out with her two daggers, engaging him and her other remaining opponent with her blades. One of them tried to sneak up on her from behind, but all he got was a mouthful of snow. He shook his head rapidly only to see Lulu flying around the area, several snowballs gathered in her little arms.

"Take that you losers!" she cried, launching more at him. The blue haired girl almost giggled at the Exceed as she deflected an attack and promptly head-butted the guy, before twirling around like a dancer and hitting her final opponent, blinded by snowballs, with her daggers. He fell on top of his already fallen comrades.

Freya couldn't help but smile seeing Lulu fly around throwing snowballs at the bandits, before focusing on her opponents again. "Ice Warpath!" she flung her hand outwards, a path of ice spikes forming and speeding straight towards the bandits. Two of them flung themselves to the left, while only one threw himself to the right to avoid the harsh spikes.

She advanced on the one by himself and jumped up, doing a flying kick to his face as he tried standing up. She rolled to the ground, getting to her feet and sending an ice spike at one man. He managed to dodge it, but was unprepared when Freya lifted her hands. "Ice Tomb!" Similar to Ice Warpath, a path of ice shot out but once it hit the man's legs, it began to crawl up him, encasing him in layers of ice.

The remaining bandit gritted his teeth. "Don't get cocky, you're not the only one who knows ice!" he then equipped what appeared to be brass knuckles, however they were colored silver with light blue tint. Etched into the metal work were snowflakes. He ran at her, launching a punch at her. It emitted frost and Freya jerked to the side, eyes narrowing. A magic item that emitted ice magic huh?

She kept moving back and forth, evading every punch until the bandit eventually got fed up and stopped moving, instead clashing his fists together. "Dodge this!" A light blue magic circle formed in front of his joined fists, before shooting out a blast of ice that headed straight towards her. Instead of moving, she merely stood still and let the attack engulf her.

Alexis gasped. "Freya!" She and the blue haired girl made a move to help but an arm stopped them. Samantha had a knowing look in her eyes as Lulu flew next to them. The Exceed gave a cheerful smile at the girls.

"Ice magic doesn't work on Freya." She assured them.

The bandit peered at the storm, smirking triumphantly as the ice swirled around the violet haired girl. He went to turn around before hearing a crunching noise. He faced her again, only to grow pale in shock seeing Freya…

Eating the ice.

"W-What the hell?!" he exclaimed. Alexis and the other girl's jaw dropped, watching as Freya wiped her mouth.

"Not bad. Next time you attack someone though…make sure they're actually down for the count." Freya advised.

The bandit quickly snapped out of his shock and lunged at her, fists frosted over due to his brass knuckles. _If ice doesn't hurt her, then I'll just overpower her with my fists!_ He let out a war cry bringing his fists down at her. Freya's eyes narrowed before bringing back her fist. A frosty aura gathered around it. "Ice Dragon's…" Her pupils slit and her obsidian blue eyes flashed icy blue. "Frozen Claw!" She swiped at him, ice-like claws digging into the man's fists and knocking the brass knuckles off him.

She didn't even give him a moment to recover, inhaling the cold air around her. "Ice Dragon's Roar!" A storm of snow and ice erupted from her mouth, colliding with the final bandit and sending him flying.

With all the bandits now down for the count, Freya turned to look at her group only to sweat-drop seeing the flabbergasted looks on two of their faces. Samantha simply walked over, picked up a bandit by the scruff of the neck, and shook him around. "Hey! Tell us where your camp is!"

His eyes opened, only for him to squeak in fear seeing the tall girl holding him like a rag doll. "O-Our camp is west of here!" he held up his arms trying to shield his face, making her snort.

"Adorable." She then slammed her shield right into his face knocking him out again. "Alexis, can you fire off a signal arrow or something?"

The archer nodded, quickly doing that despite wanting answers for what just happened and nocked an arrow marked with a red arrowhead. She fired it into the air, and as the arrow flew up high it emitted a smoking red light. One of the people from the closest village would spot it and send out some hunters to investigate, so the bandits would be taken care of.

Freya sighed as Lulu flew to her, wings disappearing as she dropped into her arms. She already felt the questioning stares. "I'll…explain. Let's just tie these guys up, and head to their camp." She spotted the brass knuckles sitting in a pile of snow on the ground however, and plucked them up. Maybe Lulu could have them, even if they were too big for her tiny paws. Era might have a blacksmith or something.

After tying the bandits up and leaving them there for the authorities to collect, the group of girls made their way to camp. Of course, they all couldn't help but talk about the fight they all just won.

"Dumb greenlanders, that's what they get for attacking northerners. We're not pushovers!"

"I never thought it be so satisfying to head-butt someone like that!"

The camp was empty, but in no time the girls occupied it while getting the campfire going. They all sat around it, some of the food the bandits had cooking over the fire.

"Um, thank you all for stepping in when you did. I don't think I would have been able to fight them all off on my own." The blue haired girl started, her voice now soft since they weren't in a combat situation anymore. "My name is Lissa Glaive."

"It's nice to meet you Lissa." Freya greeted with a smile, the other girls doing the same. "I'm Freya Icewing."

"Alexis Shiverpeak."

"Samantha Kuroushi."

"And," Lulu started, the Exceed's tail flicking as she climbed up Freya and laid over her head. "I'm Lulu!" They all chuckled at the Exceed's dramatics, before Alexis looked at Freya.

"You told me you had just ice magic."

Freya scratched the back of her head, sighing. "I apologize for lying, but please believe me when I tell you I have my reasons." She clasped her hands together. "When I was ten years old, a hunting party from the village of Frost Perch found me by myself. When they brought me back, Raul, my mentor and adoptive father, took me in." Samantha already knew this story, and sipped at her canteen.

"However, before that…I was raised by the ice dragon Frosteria."

"The Ice Queen Frosteria raised you?!" Lissa jumped, Alexis's jaw dropping slightly. In the north, the people had a history of worshiping the ice dragon known as Frosteria as she had been the guardian of the north in the time of dragons similar to how the Sun Village worshiped Atlas Flame. Though like all dragons that have disappeared over time and now are considered to be mere myths, the memory of the dragon was passed down.

"Yeah…Frosteria taught me everything. Education, how to take care of myself, and magic…then she disappeared seven years ago." Freya remembered how upset she was to wake up one morning and realize her mother wasn't there anymore.

Alexis moved to where she was sitting next to Freya. "I'm sorry, that sounds terrible." She rested a hand on her shoulder in a comforting way. "We only know Frosteria as the guardian, I can't imagine what it must have been like to lose her as a mother…"

"I do plan on finding her one day." Freya announced. "But, I have to get stronger first and make my own path."

"I'll help you Freya!" Lulu chimed in, raising a paw. Freya smiled in appreciation, hugging her dear friend, before looking at the other girls. "I understand the significance of my mother, but please don't think any different of me. The reason I want to conceal my true magic for now is because-"

"Dragon-slaying magic is a Lost Magic." Lissa blurted, blushing once realizing everyone was staring at her. "S-Sorry!"

"Don't be sorry." Everyone assured, smiles on their faces. "You're right. Raul advised me to try and not fling it about, since it might draw unwanted attention."

"Your secret is safe with us." Alexis assured before looking at Samantha. "You knew?"

Samantha sighed and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Yeah, I knew." She stared into the fire, the flickering flames lighting up her brown eyes. "I've known Freya for a few years now. My home village used to be a very toxic place. The weak were weeded out and left to die, as they followed a 'only the strong survive the cold' viewpoint. We had a 'be strong no matter what' mentality." She closed her eyes, not liking the memories that resurfaced.

"I almost was killed because of this way of life. I wasn't very strong as a little girl. Thankfully, word got around to the few villages in this region, which meant word got to Raul, a former Major General for the Rune Knights. He practically stormed into the village hearing what was going on." Raul did not take the endangerment of a child's life lightly. He had Samantha stay with Freya while he had 'words' with the elders of that village. In the end, he gave them all a choice. They both change their ways and stop weeding out the so-called weak, or he would have them all…taken care of.

"After that, my village changed for the better. We still tend to be overbearing when it comes to strength, but now we're willing to work with other villages and don't leave anyone to die. I decided though that I needed to leave my village, and find…well my own path. Be a warrior in my own right." Samantha owed Raul a lot, but seeing as the man didn't want any kind of payment she settled for helping his student. The two girls were friends now anyways.

Alexis felt a bit bad for her insults earlier, now understanding why Samantha tended to be a bit harsher. Things grew a quiet, unsure of how to continue on after hearing all of this. Lissa eventually decided to break the ice, and cleared her throat. "I understand why Freya and Samantha want to join the Rune Knights. I myself want to join to have a purpose, if that makes sense. I…I don't talk much usually, I actually never say much unless spoken to. I was labeled as creepy in my village."

"You're not creepy." Lulu immediately insisted, looking up at the girl with large eyes. "You're pretty!"

"T-Thank you." Lissa blushed. She shyly looked over at Alexis. "Um…how about you?"

The archer smiled in an assuring way at her, trying to make her feel more comfortable, before sitting up. "Pretty basic. I want to prove my worth as a huntress, and I have no interest in mage guilds. I also prefer to work as a unit. After all, no one can survive the winter all on their own." Suddenly a light bulb went off in her head, and Alexis stood up. "I just thought of something." She looked at Freya, Samantha, and Lissa. "We all use some form of ice magic and weaponry, right? And we're all from the north, and seeking to join the Rune Knights."

She blew a piece of white hair out of her face. "So what if we decided to all join together as a team?"

"Like an Ice Legion of sorts?" Freya mused out loud, making Alexis nod.

"Exactly! Think about it."

Samantha snorted, but a grin did make it's way on her face. "I'm in." Freya nodded and stood up. She looked at Lissa, who looked down for a moment before looking back up with a tiny smile forming on her face.

"I'm in."

"Well, I guess that makes it official. We're all going to be a team." Freya looked at the girls surrounding her, a smile working its way on her face as well.

"Yay!" Lulu cheered, flying circles around the group.

And this is when the Ice Legion was formed.

* * *

 ** _In a library in Era_**

"More paperwork Lahar?" A young woman asked, adjusting her glasses while holding a stack of books with one arm. The woman had brown hair styled in a messy bob, with misty grey eyes. She was dressed like a cute librarian, wearing a medium length yellow skirt, white button up blouse, a thin brown belt, and simple brown flats. Her wedding ring glinted gently in the light, and the small purple running wolf tattoo on her wrist stuck out against her pale skin.

Lahar, Captain of the Fourth Custody Unit for the Magic Council, nodded grimly staring at his paperwork. He had been trying to take a break inside the library, but the itch to get back to work hit him and he just decided to resume it here. The library was peacefully quiet anyways, so it wouldn't be too bad of a place to get work done.

"Unfortunately. I apologize if I am bothering you Esme." The woman laughed, waving her hand.

"Oh don't worry, I'm used to people coming here for peace."

"Hopefully that's all they come for." A smooth voice sounded, and Lahar quickly stood up detecting the presence of the Supreme Commander.

The Supreme Commander of the Rune Knight military, Vangelis Roth, had a certain presence around him. His teal eyes, long silver hair, and pensive expression seemed typical of a man who seemed cold, but he really wasn't. He was fair despite giving off an intimidating aura. He wore a long dark blue trench coat with armor pieces on his shoulders. He also wore black form fitting pants and military boots, with matching gloves. The Rune Knight symbol was carved on a metallic piece in the front of his belt, and was also present on the back of his coat.

He simply waved Lahar's salute off, wordlessly telling him formalities weren't needed.

Esme seemed amused. "Vangelis dear, you know I won't let anyone cause trouble." A hint of smile flashed on the commander's face as he gently grabbed her free hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. A wedding band resting on a thin chain around his neck glinted. He usually didn't wear it on his hand when on duty due to his gloves and his close combat fighting style.

Vangelis let go of his wife's hand as he looked at Lahar. "Lahar, I understand you're going to overlook a part of the training for the new batch of recruits coming in soon?" The captain nodded.

"Yes Supreme Commander. Along with Major Zhen Lung, Major Nolana Alionae, Major General Tyson Hammer, and Colonel Amber Celadon." Vangelis nodded, creasing his brow in thought. "We'll be overseeing training, and see who should go where."

"Don't show any leniency. We're not a magic guild or a group of pencil pushers for the Council, we're a military." Vangelis ordered with a hard voice. Again, he was a generally a fair man but he wanted every recruit to know that the Rune Knights aren't a bunch of freelancers who spend their time causing trouble and drinking unlike certain… guilds.

Lahar nodded. "Understood." He watched Vangelis for a moment, seeing how he relaxed as he headed off with Esme at his side. He then turned back to his paperwork, and sighed.

Well, if any recruits decided to act up, he had no qualms forcing stacks of paperwork on them.

 _Though it raises the question, I wonder what kind of recruits we'll get this year._

* * *

 **a/n: This will be a Rune Knight focused story. If you have read Frozen Rose Duo, then you know who Freya, Raul, and Lulu are already. Due to Raul's history with the Rune Knights, I thought about a 'What If' story where instead of joining Blue Pegasus, Freya joins the Rune Knights. I liked the idea of a dragon-slayer going for the Rune Knights instead of a guild, so this is my take on it!**

 **The OCs Samantha, Alexis, Lissa, and the mentioned Tyson Hammer and Amber Celadon belong to Warmachine375 who is letting me borrow a few of his Rune Knight characters. He's helping with the story, so if you haven't already I highly suggest reading his own Fairy Tail works. The other OCs are mine.**


	2. Chapter 2

Era was beautiful, and unlike any place they have ever seen.

The Ice Legion couldn't help but look at the city, in awe of the elegant architecture and how pristine it was. Not to mention, it was sunny out and the light shone down brightly on the buildings and the people bustling within. Hell, even the stonework on the streets was refined and artistically put together, though not to the point of gaudiness. Raul had told her what Era was like when he lived there, and said it was definitely different from the northern lifestyle.

Speaking of the people, it was a change seeing people not wearing furs or thick thermal clothing. The girls upon hitting a warm climate had to strip off their furs and even then they were aware that what they wore was practical but not necessarily 'fashionable'. They saved pretty clothing for very special events, which were not held very often. Freya and Samantha both stared weirdly at a group of women passing by, laughing and giggling while carrying shopping bags. Clothes shopping was a little foreign to them, as most of their clothes were made at their home village.

Lissa looked around and a pretty boutique caught her eye. Clothes that looked like they belonged to a noblewoman, or at least elegant enough to make the wearer look noble, were out in the display window. Her eyes fell on a mannequin with a noblewoman's dress that looked practical and enabled free movement while also looking very lady-like. The slight puffiness of the sleeves, the way the blouse hugged the mannequin's figure while still maintaining modesty…even the embroidery on the outfit just seemed enchanting and suddenly Lissa lamenting her plain outfit, and not having the funds just yet to buy such an outfit.

Freya tapped her shoulder, and the blue haired girl blushed seeing the knowing smile on her friend's face. "It would look nice on you, maybe you can buy it after we finish training?" Lissa nodded, and took one last look at the boutique.

"We should get moving." Alexis suggested as she lowered her hood. They all agreed and started to head down the main road. Freya furrowed her brow as she recalled what Raul told her. _The main place shouldn't be too far in. It's close to the library, and not far from the giant mountain where the Council Headquarters are located._

Granted, things have most likely changed since he was here, but hopefully not by much.

"Should we ask for directions?" Lulu asked, riding on Freya's shoulder.

Samantha rolled her eyes before staring at the Exceed. "No, we don't need directions. We can find it ourselves. How hard can it be?" Freya sighed. Fiercely independent, as always...

Alexis snorted. "Hmm, I don't know. We're only in a completely different part of Fiore and in a unfamiliar city that bears no resemblance to our homes whatsoever. But yeah, I'm sure we can find it ourselves." The pure sarcasm dripping from her made both Freya and Lissa cringe as Samantha's brow twitched.

"Oh, why don't you climb a building and scout for us? That is if your big ass will let you climb up, it might weigh you down."

"Sure, as long as you put on your helmet first. I don't think these greenlanders are accustomed to seeing the face of a Yeti."

Lulu let out a cute groan, burying her face into Freya's hair as the ice wizard rolled her eyes. Lissa looked as if she wanted to step in, but was a little intimidated by the fierce snarl Samantha was giving Alexis, and the unfazed stare of Alexis who tilted her chin up in defiance. "C-Come on girls, stop it."

Freya handed Lulu to Lissa, and moved to where she was standing right in front of the two. Her eyes narrowed, then she grabbed their heads and slammed them together.

"OW!" They chorused, making some bystanders stop and stare.

They both glanced at Freya with a look of accusation, but she only kept her eyes narrowed as she spoke with a light voice with a stern undertone. "We're supposed to be a team, not a bunch of wildlings. What will they think of us, of our people, if we act like this?" Freya scolded.

Immediately the two straightened up after rubbing their foreheads. A quick flash of regret went through both of them and they nodded in agreement. No one wanted to make a bad impression, especially when only in Era for not even an hour.

"Now, let's get going. I don't want the recruiting station to be closed by the time we get there."

"Recruiting station?" They all turned at the sudden voice, and saw a young woman a bit older than them standing not too far away. She was pretty, with long strawberry blonde curls, bright green eyes, and tanned skin that suggested she liked being outside. A simple pair of sandals and a pink sundress was clad on her. Currently, she was holding a paper bag full of groceries. Her head was tilted inquisitively at them. "Are you here to work for the Magic Council?"

Lissa surprisingly was the first to speak up. "Y-Yes. We were looking to be Rune Knights miss." The woman smiled, radiating with warm energy.

"Oh, then I'll be happy to show you there. If you don't mind, I have to drop these off first at my house but then I'll take you there myself." Freya blinked, surprised at her kindness before nodding with a smile.

"We'd be grateful, thank you."

The woman walked past them, gesturing for them to follow her before quickly turning again. "Ah, I realize I didn't tell you my name. My name is Seia."

* * *

The Ice Legion immediately liked Seia. She asked questions about their homeland, and answered any questions they had about Era. She recommended good places to eat, magic shops that sold good quality items and not flimsy rip offs, and even told them to check out Era's library. "It's very extensive. I can't think of a book they don't have, and the librarian is a very kind woman."

Freya and Alexis both noted that when Seia dropped her groceries off at her very nice townhouse, some of the neighbors and a few civilians greeted the woman with respect. Lissa frowned upon seeing one of the city guards salute the woman.

"Um..." she nudged Freya who gave her the same confused look.

"Honestly, I believe you girls will grow to love Era. Even if the city life isn't for you, I think you'll enjoy the people at least." Seia assured as she kept walking, smile never leaving her face. She looked at Lulu. Though she had been surprised at the sight of a talking and walking cat, she didn't linger on it too long. "You look like a sweets lover. I'm not really into desserts as much as I used to be, but I do love crepes. And that tea shop over there tends to make the best ones." Lulu's face brightened seeing the shop she pointed at, and practically drooled.

"Please don't feed her sugar addiction." Freya said half joking half serious. Seia just laughed and stopped walking.

She gestured to a larger building. "There it is. The academy and recruiting station." She sighed wistfully at it before smiling again. She was definitely a warm person. "Now, do you have any questions before I go?"

Alexis seemed to have one, but before she could ask-

"Colonel Seia!"

A messenger came scurrying right up to Seia, pausing for a moment to give a military salute before holding out a letter. The Ice Legion did a double take at the sight, jaws nearly dropping as they stared at the woman who was their guide. _Colonel?! She's a Rune Knight?!_

That explained the looks of respect the woman had received on the way here. "You have been summoned to meet with the Chairman Crawford Seam, and Supreme Commander Vangelis Roth." The letter even had an elaborate seal on it. Seia furrowed her brow as she took the letter and opened it. Suddenly, Freya felt a wave of nostalgia as she watched the woman. The cheerful radiance that had been emitting from Seia slowly died down as her eyes scanned the contents of the letter, and then a worn look only a soldier could have took hold of her face.

It all reminded Freya of Raul. At times she remembered finding him looking tired when remembering his military days. That worn look on Seia she had found on Raul numerous times, and the mere thought made her chest tighten.

"And here I thought it was my day off...thank you." The messenger gave another brief salute before running off again. Seia folded up the letter and looked at the girls. "I'm sorry, I have to go now. They'll answer whatever questions you have down at the station."

Freya was the first to recover. "Thank you for helping us, we really appreciate it." Alexis, Samantha, Lissa, and Lulu echoed this. Seia's lips quirked upwards in a half-smile but the weary look was still in her eyes.

"You're welcome, good luck girls." They watched her leave before they all looked at each other, and then the line at the recruiting station.

"Well...here goes nothing."

* * *

It wasn't too long of a process. They had to indeed give their information, and background checking surprisingly didn't take long. The recruiters did take one look at Lulu confused, but after a brief demonstration of her Aera they relented.

Once they made it to the training camp, one of the instructors just assigned them to a building with other female cadets. Freya noted that there wasn't a lot of people inside, and pondered if there wasn't too many recruits this year. _From what Raul told me before, guilds have become widely popular, and more people have shown interest in a guild then being a Rune Knight. I suppose it isn't that surprising, people tend to want the free lifestyle a guild wizard has._

The girls were lucky enough to get bunks relatively close to each other. They just deposited their things, which wasn't much, and headed off to the grounds to line up.

Immediately, officers were spotted as if waiting and overlooking the new batch of recruits.

A young man leaned against a training bo staff, vibrant gold eyes scanning the crowd with a slightly cocky smirk on his face. He was handsome, with light tanned skin, messy black hair tied into a short braid, and a lean athletic build. He was on the shorter side for a male, only looking to be around 5'4. He was wearing a partially open light blue mandarin jacket with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow. He also had dark blue hakama pants and martial arts style shoes. The Rune Knight symbol was stitched on a band wrapped around his upper right arm.

His eyes swept over the crowd once again, before glancing to the lady next to him. "Nolana Banana, see the new recruits?"

The lady sighed, and adjusted her glasses. She had wavy pastel pink hair that just touched her shoulders, while also wearing a dark blue military style blazer over a matching uniform skirt and heels. A white shirt and tie were underneath the blazer, with a silver pin holding the Council symbol on the lapel of her blazer. The same band as Zhen, done in light blue, was on her right arm as well. Her eyes were a soft brown color and doe-like.

"That doesn't even rhyme correctly Zhen. My name is pronounced No-La-Nuh." The way she was talking was strange, as if she was trying to sound stiff or hold back her voice.

"I know, but I like messing with you." He gave a cheeky grin, ignoring the violent eye twitch she made. Her hand lifted in the air momentarily and with a poof a notebook appeared in her hands. A form of Equip. She then went to whack him with the notebook only for a strong hand to yank it out of her hand.

"Now now, you two best not be getting violent in front of the recruits." A strangely southern voice that sounded similar to a redneck's spoke up, making the two of them look up at the tall, burly man behind them. He had grayish-blue eyes, long white mullet hair, and a gray and yellow trucker hat perched on his head. His outfit was odd, done in colors of the Council, but consisted of an open vest, tiny suspenders underneath the vest holding up trousers tucked into boots with a ribbed front, and gloves. A double RR logo was on the vest and hat.

Nolana sighed. "Apologies Mr. Tyson." Her notebook was handed back to her, and she simply made it poof away again before folding her hands behind her back and facing the lines again. Tyson gave a brief chuckle, as if trying not to laugh at something the girl was doing before quickly turning on Zhen who sighed.

"Yeah, sorry." Quicker than he could react, Zhen let out a yelp when a strong muscular arm wrapped around his neck, pulled him backwards, only to receive a noogie on the top of his head. "Ack- oh come on!" He squirmed against Tyson's iron grip, and the trucker hat wearing man only laughed.

"Calm down tiger boy, only having a bit of fun!"

A petite woman stepped up, standing beside Nolana as she watched the comedic situation with shy amusement. This is Colonel Amber Celadon, a young petite woman with chocolate brown hair around shoulder length, and green eyes. She was wearing a standard female's military officer uniform, with a light blue beret on her head holding the Rune Knight ankh symbol on it. The most notable thing about the woman were the two large guns strapped to her sides.

"Rune Knights are weird." Lulu murmured, looking very confused about the situation. Freya only gave a soft chuckle as Lahar, the captain overlooking their training, cleared his throat.

"Cadets, Majors Zhen Lung, Nolana Alionae, Colonel Amber Celadon, and Major General Tyson Hammer will be overseeing your training. Be prepared to be push to the breaking limit. You might be a small batch of recruits, but that does not mean things will be easy."

 _Major General? Just like Raul!_ Freya thought, eyes flying to Tyson who let Zhen out of his grasp. _I wonder…does he know him?_ She pondered before quickly focusing on Lahar as to not get caught staring. She decided she didn't want anyone to know she was affiliated with Raul, as she wanted to earn her name around here. She didn't want to hear from some other cadet that she was advancing because of who her adoptive father was. _Though…why does that name, Tyson Hammer, sound familiar?_ She tried not to make a face, a bit disturbed at her lack of memory.

Zhen lung stepped up, twirling his bo staff around with the original cocky smirk he had back. Nolana seemed to roll her eyes. "First thing is first, I want to see how good all of you are at hand-to-hand."

"B-But we have magic Major, why would we-" A recruit started to say before the bo staff was abruptly pointed at him.

"What if you can't use your magic?" Zhen challenged, before gesturing for the recruit to come over. The boy didn't have an answer, so Zhen smirked even wider. "Well, thanks for volunteering anyways." The recruit looked confused, so the Major let out a sigh. "Get into your fighting stance. No magic."

What happened next was no doubt humiliating for the poor young boy, as he was immediately knocked down with five seconds. The cadet obviously never did much fighting for most of his life. Zhen moved fast, swift, and hit strongly though the Ice Legion all quietly agreed he was holding back. Zhen then offered his hand to the recruit, pulled him up, and roughly patted him on the back. "Don't feel bad. This is what you're here for, to be better." It actually sounded heartwarming coming from the officer, who dropped the cocky smirk for a split second, before it came back. "Next!"

Lahar seemed to be making note of everything, hand on his chin as he observed Zhen dealing with the recruits. Some lasted longer, having experience, but the end result was all the same. They were all knocked to the ground.

Zhen's glowing eyes looked around until he spotted the northern girls. Freya blinked when he pointed right at her. "Purple hair. Get over here." Lulu looked as if she wanted to fight the man herself but Lissa knelt down and held her by the tail to prevent that. Freya sighed and headed over.

"What's your name?" His eyes scanned her figure and she saw in the corner of her eye Nolana face palming, leaning to mutter something in Amber's ear.

"Freya Icewing."

He seemed to nod, taking that in before winking. "Well, sorry about this. I don't like knocking pretty girls to the ground."

She heard Lulu grumble something, making her almost laugh but she kept her composure. She could respond, but she decided to not say anything to him. She didn't want him to think his comment got to her to the point she had to say something back. If anything, she kept her expression icy.

Seeing as she didn't say anything back, he seemed surprised but then he smiled. _Oh no, I better not be the first girl to not snap at him._

He went for, sweeping with his bo staff. Freya had two options. Either grab it, or dodge. She chose to dodge it, not staying in one place long as he followed her. She stayed on the tips of her toes, wanting to stay fast and moving as she dodged every swipe of his staff. Usually when she fought opponents with weapons, they'd get irritated at her constant moving and dodging. However, Zhen seemed to have a pleased look in his eyes.

His smirk widened when he suddenly was a lot closer, which definitely confirmed Zhen was holding back a lot of his natural speed and strength, and swung his bo staff horizontally at her, aiming for the space between her hips and ribcage.

Suddenly she remembered Raul, training her to dodge weapons while using one of his beloved spears. Immediately she got down just in time, practically kneeling before rolling forward and shot upwards to slam her fist into his face.

A lot of witnesses gasped out loud, including Nolana and Amber. Tyson however seemed stunned for a split second, before narrowing his eyes and scratching his chin deep in thought. Freya's eyes widened realizing she let the intensity of the spar go to her head and immediately backed up. Zhen stumbled backwards, nursing his cheek. He sucked on his lower lip a bit too, no doubting realizing the corner of his mouth would be a bit tender later. Instead of expressing anger, he seemed to grin.

"Nice one!"

Her friends gave a sigh of relief.

* * *

Lahar mentioned that the real training would begin tomorrow, before dismissing them all to get a late supper before lights out. Zhen seemed to wink at Freya before heading off. Nolana informed the recruits that their training uniforms should be all on their beds, and that it was required to wear them. She also would be the one giving a quick tour, so everyone needed to follow her.

Freya was about to go with her friends until a strong gloved hand rested on her shoulder. Slowly, she turned her head and her eyes widened seeing Tyson behind her. "Mind if I have a word with ya, little lady?" He didn't sound like he was speaking unkindly, but still her stomach twisted thinking she did something wrong.

 _Uh oh, I'm getting punished aren't I? Great way to start your career Freya…_

* * *

 **Somewhere else in Fiore…**

A little girl trudged down the road, frowning when she saw the next town wasn't for a couple more miles. She sighed and stepped off the road, going into the forest to find a tree to rest against. Her feet were hurting from walking so long, and it was going to be dark out soon. Eventually she found a nice sized tree with a few roots uprooted, so she had a crawl space just in case a Vulcan came along.

She sat on the warm grass, not minding if she got grass stains on her clothes. She was currently wearing an oversized olive green long-sleeve shirt, a faded pair of jeans, and worn brown shoes that were ratty from all the travelling she had been doing. Her mahogany hair was a bit knotted, and fell over her shoulders in long waves.

While she had a hairbrush in her little backpack, her first concern was the tiny clay pot sitting on the side of the backpack where water bottles could go. She pulled it out and rested it on her lap. Her fingers gingerly pet the petals of the pretty daffodil growing in the pot. Her dark gold eyes seemed to close a little bit, as she relaxed. "Once I join a guild, I'm going to plant you in a proper garden." She hummed to the flower, feeling the silky texture of the petals. A strange noise, like the creaking of wood, then sounded close to her.

"You're going to join a guild?"

Her eyes opened wide as she looked upwards, and she saw a very tall man standing beside her. She didn't hear him, and she was sure she saw no one before she sat down. Where did he-

She gasped when she saw the tree he was leaning against…quake…as if he had emerged from it. If there was one thing the ten year old knew about, it was plant magic. Yet she never witnessed one like this…

She looked at the man again. He had coppery tan skin, dark brown hair that looked like leathery strips jutting out in all directions. Long sideburns connected to a goatee, and he had a matching pair of dark brown eyes. A strange streak of the same color was over one eye, and a pair of earrings that looked like silver crescent moons pointing down were clad on his ears. His outfit was unusual, consisting of colors of green with orange pants and sleeves poking out from underneath the green top.

The girl hugged the pot to her chest and sat up a little bit. "Y-Yes. Did-Did you just use tree magic?" she asked. _Please don't be phasing magic…_ She had a love for nature, botany, and anything related to plants. It was expected anyways, due to the nature of her own magic.

"Yes." He looked down at the girl who seemed to beam at that information. "It's called Great Tree Arc." A flicker of amusement went through his eyes seeing the big smile on her face when he said that. Though he did wonder why she seemed so excited over it.

"That's a lost plant magic! Just like my Black Garden!"

He frowned hearing that. A Lost Magic user? He momentarily thought of his own guild, and the kind of formidable members that made it up. He looked at the girl again, and noted how low her magic power was at the moment. She wasn't very strong, in fact she was rather weak at the moment. She looked like she hadn't had a proper meal in weeks too. Considering she was alone, it was safe to say she was an orphan.

He remembered there was a time he was weak as well. But that was a time long ago, he was powerful now.

If she truly knew Black Garden…his master would no doubt be pleased if he brought her back to the guild. All she needed was to get started on training.

"Black Garden? I hear that's a strong magic." He decided to kneel in front of her, she was rather tiny and he needed to not look too intimidating if he wanted her to come back with him. Usually he wouldn't care if he intimidated people, but this time was an exception. "My name is Azuma, what is your name?"

The little girl stuck out her hand.

"Emilia Fairway, Mister Azuma! But I like being called Lia, if that's okay!"

* * *

 **A/n: Another chapter, after so long...I apologize for the wait. I hope the chapter is suitable, and I would love to know your thoughts! Thanks for reading, and have a lovely day/night!**


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